The comments about debt they are pretty correct credit cards and politics dont work, our leadership can not even balance a freaking budget which nearly all high school drops, mentally ill or mentally handicap folks can at least balance a budget yet our leadership can't. The so called War on terror like the drug war both bad jokes, the war on terror that money would have been far less needed to be spent on tightened security and boarders and the flow of international traffic into the US. Which in turn would have reduced at least the flow of drug traffic as well killing two birds with one stone. The middle east is no more stable than it was before the war started iol prices reflected at the pumps are just outragous and non of this took place until after the sold nearly every American family a gas hog SUV and Oil Barrens gained control of the White House and with all the high tech toys Bin Laden is still at large and a band of 10 or 20 thousand terrorist still keep the US and Its Military force living in fear of more attacks and are yet to be totally defeated making our military look like a weak joke. While we give free trade even US Grants to China and former USSR for products that are pure junk and they both profit handsomly and use that profit to built up their military might China with 12 million strong total armed forces, USSR with 220 million strong along with their 8 other allies eact 8 to 10 million strong, while we have 2 1/2 million half or more scattered about the world our allies 5 we can really trust none having more than 5 million or so strong, so do the Math each US Military person to engage the USSR alone would have to take out over 1000 troops each alone, its never going to happen. Then whats left Nukes Hitler and the Nazis win the 2nd WW years after the fact from the Mexican Stand off they created by giving the knowledge of nukes to both their enemies who also are enemies. When the nukes get set off we all loose only the select get to hit the bunkers or even space and a chance to live on. At least nations had Bomb Shelters during the 2nd WW and even kids did drills in schools to prepare for such a bad event now days they dont even bother there is no safety net in this critical time for you the tax payer would paid for and built the safety nets for the select few. When are you going to wake up and figure out your being used as nothing more than expendable slaves to benefit a select few. Check the public records on US Grants going overseas its billions in just a few pages with 100's of pages to go before the total is even close to being actual we maybe giving away trillions to other nations to fix things such as roads which we can't afford to fix here go figure. When you want to know whats wrong wih America look at leadership and if you want the damages paid for there is who should pay those who caused all this damage to our once great Nation.

We've discussed Social Security's place in retirement planning quite a bit here. Several commenters have brought up the fact that Social Security is meant to be a supplement to retirement savings, not the majority (or even all) of it. I agree -- that's what it's meant to be. But that's not how ...

what a bunch of clueless and gutless as well as heartless people what a freaking disgrace very few people get out of SS what they paid into it. SS is a megar income and if stinken employers in this country wheren't so freaking greedy and the industies so greedy maybe poor people could save money to retire and not live in the forced poverty and oppression SS puts them in. There is no buy power in our nation and most crap you buy is just that crap, garbage that fills our dumps contaiminated water, air, soil. what needs to happen in America all those who judge the disabled and edlers need to be put in their shoes see how you like it then and if you think your income should be lowered or cut out totally get a taste of your own medicines you wish to pour down the throats of others. People pay their own SS its Called a FICA Tax better known as the same thing as a insurance plan, your money is to be invested but the sad fact is our government steels that money acts like its theirs or as some of you say as tax payers its your money, No its the tax payers that paid the money they aren't getting your money they are getting their own freaking money they paid into their own damn self. It you yahoos want to moan and grown about anything it should be how poorly that money has been used for other uses besides the SS programs it was designed and intended and how poorly its been invested causing those who come time to collect to live in poverty and oppression, yes correct it was not designed to be a full retirement check, but thats when jobs where not so damned greedy and cheap and offered retirement to their long labored faithful employees no days your lucky if you get full time work or a job last 5 yrs before the lay you off, fire you for a lame reason or shift to other locations or even go under. Don't sit there at your computers blaming workers who worked all their lives or those who became disabled often at the fault of a 3rd party that your freaking corrupt freaking government, state, or businesses or all 3 combined cheated that disabled person to not be held accountable for the ill and evil as well as demonic acts/actions in the name of profits and greed for themselves. Bottom Line had SS been better invested such as are private insurance funds which pay far better when you become disabled or reach retirement both segments of society would live far better than poverty and oppression. But FICA must be paid like taxes you have no choice in the matter and over the years the raises in FICA did no meet the cost of living or medical because our leadership was to busy lying to the public and playing politics with your lives and money. The losses should be taken from theirs and their lobbist pocket, estates and what ever it takes to be sure people who paid their FICA get their benefits, and that the at least are just above the federal poverty levels not well below. And thats a bunch of pure bull they did not project you to live past 65 people lived to be 80, 90 and even past 100 yrs old very few people died sooner ask your grand parents and great grand parents how old their parents and brothers and sisters lived to be. Wars jobs that where high hazards took lives before their time not natural illness or age, toxic waste began the taking of more lives and crippling at sooner ages and caused SSI to be formed which that money does not come from FICA birth defects and many illnesses are from toxic waste and their by products give the devil his due because he has sure escaped you and gotten away with out paying his due to you because of corrupt politics its as simple as that. Many workers long ago had leadership said look cost of living and medical is going to be this high, being few jobs offer steady full time work or retirements and buying power is low we are going to need to raise your FICA to keep you from living in poverty or oppression when you retire or become disabled. Then there is the little known fact of a matter of law SSA or any Gov or State agency has the right to sue for damages of any at fault 3rd party for damages its rarely done and when it is the state or gov just makes the victim a victim all over by suing for themselves using the victim but gaining nothing for the victim. There is a lot more to the SSA and Gov than meets the eye or the lame rumors people, media, and interenet spread.

We've discussed Social Security's place in retirement planning quite a bit here. Several commenters have brought up the fact that Social Security is meant to be a supplement to retirement savings, not the majority (or even all) of it. I agree -- that's what it's meant to be. But that's not how ...